Dr. Francis Eugene “Gene” McCormick, 95, died peacefully March 30, 2020, at West Chester, Ohio.
Gene was born Nov. 11, 1924, at Hillsboro, the son of Ruth Glee (Clodfelder) McCormick and Harold Earl McCormick.
Gene graduated from Alamo High School in 1942 and attended Wabash College in the fall. He entered the Army in 1943 and was trained as a dental technician. Gene married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Lillian Watkins, in 1945. Upon completion of his stint in the Army, Gene returned to Wabash College and graduated in 1949, Phi Beta Kappa. The couple then moved to Bloomington, while Gene was in school and then to Indianapolis, where he graduated from Indiana School of Dentistry in 1953, Omicron Kappa Upsilon. He entered private practice in Speedway, and in 1960 joined the Indiana University academic staff as an instructor of Pedodontics. He earned a Distinguished Faculty Member Award and retired in 1988 as a Professor Emeritus, Indiana University School of Dentistry. Gene and Dottie resided in Speedway from 1956 until 2012, when they moved to Cocoa Beach, Florida. Gene was a former Vice President of the Speedway Lions Club, and a member of the Speedway American Legion and Speedway Masonic Lodge. Gene was also a Deacon, Elder and Chairman of the Official Board of Speedway Christian Church.
Professionally, Gene was a member of the American Dental Association, the Indiana Dental Association, the Indianapolis District Dental Society, Secretary, Treasurer, the American Society of Dentistry for Children and the Indianapolis Society of Dentistry for Children, President.
Gene and Dottie were best friends as well as beloved members of their community, wherever that was. They were always surrounded by friends, loved to travel and spend time with their children and grandchildren. Gene loved boating and fishing, and spent hours teaching young people to water ski. His kindness and patience were legendary, and with Dotty at his side, their friends became family.
Gene was preceded in death by his beloved wife Dorothy (Watkins) McCormick and is survived by his brother- and sister-in-Law Roy and Clara McCormick of Normandy, Tennessee; daughters, Marla (Bill) McCormick-Murphy of Mineral Bluff, Georgia, and Rhonda (Scott) Benson of West Chester, Ohio; and son Dr. Gary (Becky) McCormick of Katy, Texas; as well as his grandchildren, Erin and Keith Benson, Garrett and Lauran McCormick, and Shane (Elana) and Carey (Noreen) Murphy and their children.
Due to the current CODIV-19 pandemic, the family has opted to forgo a memorial service. We are grateful to all their friends who came to Dottie’s funeral and know you would be there to honor Gene as well.
